The Mustangs secure a doubles point and a ranked win from Sophie Llewellyn, but Duke rallies in singles to take the ACC matchup.
DALLAS - SMU women’s tennis showed fight in its ACC home opener, but No. 20 Duke proved too deep in singles play, escaping Dallas with a 4-2 win Friday night.
The No. 30 Mustangs (7-3, 1-2 ACC) came out sharp in doubles, continuing one of the most consistent trends of their spring season. SMU has made a habit of grabbing the doubles point and did it again.
Sophie Llewellyn and Natalie Stasny dominated court three with a 6-1 victory, setting the tone early. Then Amelie Van Impe and Caroline McGinley delivered another statement performance, knocking off Duke’s No. 12-ranked tandem 6-3 on court one.
The duo improved to 7-0 together and 3-0 against ranked pairs, while McGinley pushed her individual doubles record to a flawless 10-0 this spring.
SMU is now 9-1 in doubles points this season - a clear strength under first-year head coach Kelcy McKenna.
But in ACC play, singles depth matters. Duke flipped the match by claiming three straight singles courts, building a 3-1 edge.
No. 66 Sophie Llewellyn responded with a gritty three-set win over No. 118 Liv Hovde, rallying 2-6, 6-2, 6-3 to keep SMU alive.
Amelie Van Impe nearly added another marquee moment. Facing No. 22 Irina Balus on court one, Van Impe led 7-5, 2-6, 5-4 and was closing in on a ranked win before Duke clinched elsewhere and the match ended unfinished.
The Mustangs showed flashes of what makes them dangerous with strong doubles chemistry, resilience in long rallies and the ability to compete with top-20 programs.
Now the challenge only intensifies. SMU returns to action Sunday at home against No. 3 North Carolina.
If the Mustangs can pair their dominant doubles play with a more complete singles performance, they’ll have another shot at a statement ACC win.